1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the dehydration of foods, and more particularly to a novel dehydrator and method for home preservation of food under relative humidity, pressure, temperature, and air flow restraints.
2. State of the Art
In the various types of dehydrators described in the literature, or in present use, the drying or dehydrating of food products is accomplished through the use of sun drying, kitchen oven drying, and special equipment drying. Special equipment drying involves apparatuses which contain controls to regulate blower speeds, the temperature, humidity, and pressure of influent air, and the size of the apertures for influent and effluent air. Examples of these inventions are found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,943,842 issued Mar. 16, 1976 to J. P. Bills and E. L. France; 3,362,081 issued Jan. 9, 1968 to E. F. Bogenberger; 2,464,573 issued Mar. 15, 1949 to G. Helm; 1,552,210 issued Sept. 1, 1925 to M. E. Bussler; 3,359,644 issued Dec. 26, 1967 to M. S. Goldman; 2,464,706 issued Mar. 15, 1949 to C. T. McGraw; 2,642,860 issued June 23, 1953 to H. T. Hunter et. al.; 2,357,946 issued Sept. 12, 1944 to E. I. Fuller; and 2,412,407 issued Dec. 10, 1946 to P. D. Kilbury. There remains a need for an invention of special drying equipment which eliminates the necessity of varying the blower speed, the size of the apertures for influent and effluent air, and the relative humidity, and pressure of the influent air; thereby minimizing manufacturing costs to make the invention available to a broad home market. The present invention fulfills that need.